Obituary: Jimmy ReedJimmy Reed ATKINS — Jimmy Reed, 59, of Russellville passed away Tuesday, July 21, 2015, at Saint Mary’s Regional Medical Center. He was born March 27, 1956, in Russellville to Paul Ray and Buna Faye Kinder Reed. He was a member of Mount Vernon Free Will Baptist Church and was a vice president, branch manager and loan officer with First State Bank. He supported a number of community events through his volunteer work with the bank. He is survive...

Obituary: Jeanette KellnerJeanette Kellner PETALUMA, Calif. — Jeannette Lorraine “Pat” Kellner passed away July 13, 2015. She was 93 years old. Pat was born May 14, 1922, in Petaluma, Calif., to Irene and Roland Hills. She graduated from Petaluma schools in 1939, Santa Rosa Junior College in 1942 and the University of Southern California in 1944. At USC she studied drama with William de Mille and earned a teaching certificate for high school.She married the late Lloyd ...

River Valley Rewind (July 23, 2015)Reprinted from a 1963 edition of The Courier-Democrat COUNTRY CHAMPION — 4-H boy and girl of Pope County for 1963 are Dennis Rappe of Route 1, Dover, and Frances Hovezak of Route 3, Russellville.

Army Ranger saves drowning child FORT BENNING, Ga. — On the afternoon of July 11, Army Rangers Spc. Luke Smith, Sgt. Khali Pegues, and Sgt. Brian Miller were cleaning up after hosting a barbecue with members of the 75th Ranger Regiment at a community pool area here when they heard cries for help. A child about 6 years old had fallen into the pool and drowned. “We heard a woman scream and some commotion from another party,” Pegues, Smith’s supervisor, said. “I grabbed Smith to...

Hector School District finishes year with $200,000 carryoverHECTOR — Superintendent Walt Davis recommended that the Hector School Board approve a plan during its July 16 regular meeting to transfer $200,000 carryover from the operating to the building fund. Despite some unexpected transportation expenses at the end of the school year, the district finished the fiscal year with its finances sufficiently improved, Davis said. The board approved the transfer unanimously. The board also approved Davis’s pr...

Eureka Springs to keep anti-discrimination ordinanceAssociated Press LITTLE ROCK — The mayor of a northwest Arkansas city on Tuesday said a measure banning discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity will continue being enforced despite a new state law aimed at prohibiting such ordinances. Eureka Springs Mayor Robert “Butch” Berry said the city has no plans to back down from its ordinance, approved by voters in May. It bans agencies and businesses from discriminating against ...

Ex-officers charged in youth’s arm injuryAssociated Press LITTLE ROCK — Two former law enforcement officers in Yell County face felony charges for their involvement in breaking a 13-year-old boy’s arm at a juvenile detention center last year. Former Danville police officer Timothy Spears and former Yell County sheriff’s deputy Michael Spears are each charged with second-degree battery in connection with the March 2014 altercation with the boy that resulted in a severe fracture of his...

Why airlines keep pushing biofuels: They have no choiceAssociated Press NEW YORK — The number of global fliers is expected to more than double in the next two decades. In order to carry all those extra passengers, airlines are turning to a technology very few can make work on a large scale: converting trash into fuel. They have no other choice. As people in countries such as China, India and Indonesia get wealthier they are increasingly turning to air travel for vacation or business, creating an e...

Cemetery helps to slow down automobileOakland Cemetery Director Stephanie Warwick told commissioners during their regular meeting Tuesday at City Hall that insurance funds will cover damage done after a vehicle left Detroit Avenue, drove through the southwest corner, damaged a few headstones and a fence before it finally stopped at the daycare at East 11th Street and Detroit. Commissioners who had looked at the damage agreed the vehicle was moving fairly fast on the morning of Jun...

Dr. Daniel Belongia: 'A Blue Collar Band Kid'New Arkansas Tech University director of bands and associate professor of music Dr. Daniel Belongia doesn’t just want to be around music. He needs it. “I’m a bit like the moth to the flame,” said Belongia. “We were wrapping up the spring semester in Illinois, packing up a house, buying a house, moving into a house, moving into an office and preparing for the middle school band campers to arrive, so I spent about two months not doing any music…...

Arkansas unemployment declines to 5.7% in JuneAssociated Press LITTLE ROCK — The Arkansas Department of Workforce Services says Arkansas’ unemployment rate last month dropped slightly to 5.7 percent. The agency said Tuesday that the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate declined one-tenth of a percentage point in June from 5.8 percent in May. The national jobless rate declined two-tenths of a percentage point, from 5.5 percent in May to 5.3 percent in June. Arkansas’ civilian labor force ...

Obituary: Annie GravesAnnie Graves CLARKSVILLE — Mrs. Annie Elizabeth (Boen) Graves, 82, of Clarksville passed away July 19, 2015, in Clarksville. She was born Dec. 24, 1932, in Fallsville to James and Minnie (Case) Boen. Visitation will be 5-7 p.m. today at Roller-Cox Funeral Home Chapel. Mrs. Graves’ funeral service will begin at 10 a.m., Thursday, July 23, 2015, at Hedgeway Church in Lamar, with Bro. Don Alexander officiating. Burial will follow in Hagarville Ce...

Obituary: Kenneth WalkerKenneth Walker Kenneth Roland Walker, age 87, of Russellville died Tuesday, July 21, 2015, at Arkansas Hospice River Valley Home. He was born April 12, 1928, in Kosciusko County, Ind., to Carl and Laura Ford Walker. He was preceded in death by his parents, his wife, Marylou Neff Walker, two brothers, Irl Walker and Dick Walker, and his grandson, Kane Allen. He is survived by his daughters and sons-in-law, Elizabeth and Steve Franks of Russellv...

Obituary: Richard WalterRichard Walter DOVER — Richard Leland “Dick” Walter, age 86, formerly of Dover, died Tuesday, July 14, 2015, at his home in Lenox, Iowa. He was born Nov. 3, 1928, in Lenox, Iowa, to the late Orval and Dorothy Walter. Left to cherish the memory of a wonderful husband, father and grandfather is his loving wife of 64 years, Mildred Marle Walter of Lenox; his six children, Susan Lynn Leach (husband J.R.) of Edmond, Okla., Jeanne Kaye Masters (husb...

Obituary: Judy GilkeyJudy Gilkey DANVILLE — Judy Ann Gilkey, age 62, of Havana, passed away Monday, July 20, 2015, at St. Vincent in Little Rock. She was born March 16, 1953, in Danville to Charles and Margaret Ann Swilling Davis. She was a member of the Ascension Life Church. Judy was kind and she loved to garden, go fishing and spending time with her family. She was loved greatly by her family and friends. She is preceded in death by her father, Charles Davis; i...

Obituary: Leslie SkaggsLeslie Skaggs CLARKSVILLE — Leslie E. Skaggs of Combs, Ark., was born June 10, 1932, in Spoke Plant, Ark., and died July 20, 2015, at Heroes’ Haven in the Fayetteville VA Hospital in Fayetteville at the age of 83. He was a retired mechanic, a member of the American Legion, and of the Baptist faith. Funeral service will begin at 10 a.m., Thursday, July 23, 2015, at Hardwicke Funeral Home Chapel with Sister Linda Tate officiating. Burial will fo...

News Briefs (July 22, 2015)Jamboree The American Legion will be featuring The Arkansas Country Express with Jack George, Pud Maggard David Bocksnic; Bill Rowlette; Bobby Maggard and Lannie Yates at 6 p.m., tomorrow at the Hut at 215 North Denver in Russellville. Summer music camp Arkansas Center for Music Education is currently registering boys and girls ages 5-13 for summer music camp. The camp is from July 27-31 at the music center. Participants must register by noon ...

Letter to the Editor: Taxed Enough AlreadyIt is disappointing, but not surprising, that the Russellville City Council is seriously considering a sales tax increase to balance its budget. The only other option expressed by the Council in The Courier article on July 19 was to issue a millage increase. Are Council members aware that budgets can be balanced by decreasing spending or keeping expenses at levels no exceeding income? Possible income shortfalls should be taken into account whe...

Community photo: Blood drivePictured are Mr. and Mrs. James Thacker, a Danville blood donor in his 80s who hasn’t missed a Guns ’n Hoses Blood Drive. Thacker says it makes him feel good to help others. He never could donate as a farmer because he was up at dawn and in bed at dark seven days a week so when he retired, he donated for the first time. There were 29 donors that helped as many as 87 patients in area hospitals that the Arkansas Blood Institute serves including ...